Macintyre aiming to foil Horsfield’s treble chance

Bob Macintyre is among the players aiming to stop in-form Sam Horsfield making it three wins in four starts as the European Tour’s UK Swing continues with the Wales Open this week.

The second leg of a double-header at Celtic Manor – where Horsfield won the Celtic Classic on Sunday to add to his Hero Open victory at Forest of Arden a fortnight earlier – marks Macintyre’s first start on his home circuit since coming out of lockdown.

Last year’s Rookie of the Year, inset, missed the start of the UK Swing due to being out in the US to quarantine before playing in the WGC-FEDEX St Jude Invitational in Memphis then the US PGA Championship in San Francisco.

“It’s good to be back, good to get back to competitive golf week-in, week-out and the European Tour have done a great job getting everyone back and playing again,” said Macintyre.

“I obviously watched this place on the TV for the Ryder Cup. Greg, my caddie, has been here and seen the course twice and says it’s as you see it, so, as long as I’m hitting it well, which I am doing now, then why not have a good week.”

Macintyre, who was pleased to make the cut in his first major on US soil, added: “I’m not too sure what I want from the rest of the season, I’m just going to play here and next week and then I have the US Open and we’re just trying to win every week we’re out here. Sam is making a good effort at that, so I’m just going to go out and enjoy my golf again and try to be up there come Sunday.”

Connor Syme is bidding to do that for the second week running at the Newport venue, having led heading into the final round in the Celtic Classic before finishing third behind Horsfield.

That effort lifted Syme into the top 10 in the UK Swing Order of Merit and he’s aiming to stay there over the next two events in order to join Macintyre in the US Open at Winged Foot. Nairn’s Sandy Scott, Scotland’s top-ranked amateur, has already done that, having secured a spot through being in the top 10 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Calum Hill, Stephen Gallacher, Daniel Young, Ewen ferguson, Richie Ramsay, Liam Johnston, Grant Forrest, David Law and Craig Howie are also in this week’s field.